In the meatpacking industry and specifically in the processing of pork and beef, large carcasses are generally prepared for butchering and further processing by sawing the carcass in half. Typically, the carcass is sawn down the spine to form left and right sides that can be conveyed for further processing. As the carcass is sawn in half, bone dust can be generated that is subsequently deposited onto the left and right sides. Prior to any additional processing steps, it is desired to remove this residual bone dust.
Conventionally, residual bone dust is removed by conveying suspended carcass sides through a carcass wash cabinet. Generally, the carcass wash cabinet includes spray systems mounted on opposed side walls of the carcass wash cabinet. The spray systems utilize water that is sprayed directly onto surfaces of the carcass sides, whereby the fluid flows downward along the surface of the carcass side and carries any residual bone dust off the carcass side and into a drain system within the floor of the carcass wash cabinet.
Subsequent to the carcass washing, the carcasses typically undergo a pasteurization process to kill bacteria and other microbes on the carcass.
While conventional carcass wash cabinets can be successfully utilized to remove residual bone dust from carcass sides, there exists opportunities to improve upon the performance of these carcass wash cabinets. There also exists an opportunity to utilize these washing cabinets in a more effective manner to perform an antimicrobial intervention on the carcass so as to reduce and/or eliminate the need for carcass pasteurization.